DUPR Collegiate Individual National Championship Preview

This weekend in Cincinnati, the DUPR Collegiate Individual National Championship will take place at The Pickle Lodge. The brand new facility has nine individually fenced indoor courts, with plans for another eight courts by the end of the year.

As collegiate pickleball programs continue expanding at universities across the country, this event stands as the highest-stakes college pickleball tournament in the sport. The best young talent in the country will be on full display as a collegiate champion is crowned in each of the five events.

How to Watch the DUPR Collegiate Individual National Championship

3:30pm EST on Sunday, June 2nd on the DUPR YouTube Channel.

A collegiate champion will be crowned in each of the following events:

Women's Singles
Men's Singles
Women's Doubles
Men's Doubles
Mixed Doubles

Schedule of Events

Saturday 9am to 1pm: Mixed Doubles Group Play and Quarterfinals

Saturday 1pm to 7pm: Men's and Women's Singles Group Play and Quarterfinals

Sunday 7am to 1pm: Men's and Women's Doubles Group Play and Quarterfinals

Sunday 1pm to 7pm: All Events Semifinals and Finals

DUPR Collegiate Individual National Championship Format

Round Robin in groups of 6, 7, or 8 depending on the number of participants. Top eight from group play will advance to an eight-team playoff to determine the winner.

Group play games are to 21, rally scoring with win-on-serve. Playoff games are 2-out-of-3 to 21, with the third game to 11.

DUPR Collegiate Individual National Championship Eligibility

Any college student taking at least six credit hours can compete
Players that graduate in the 2024 spring semester or are taking summer classes can compete
Players must be partnered with someone from their own school

Scholarship Money at the DUPR Collegiate Individual National Championship

Players will be playing for a total of $20,000 in scholarships over the two-day event. Besides being named a national champion, pickleball scholarship money is also on the line at this college pickleball tournament.

Here are the winning amounts in all events:

1st place: $1,000 per player
2nd place: $500 per player
3rd and 4th place: $250 per player
5th through 8th place: $125 per player
$20,000 in total

The DUPR rating system powers the seedings and competitive structure of this event, with player ratings determining how brackets are formed and how the field is seeded entering the championship weekend.

Top Five Rated Men's Players

(Doubles DUPR / Singles DUPR)

Jack Munro (6.4/5.9)

Munro is coming off two APP Gold medals in the APP NYC in men's doubles and the newly formed APP Shuffle. He is also on the APP Next Gen National Team. The ambidextrous player from the University of Texas at Austin was drafted to the Chicago Slice in Major League Pickleball this year.

Munro is playing singles, men's doubles and mixed doubles at the DUPR Collegiate Individual National Championship, making him one of the most compelling players to watch all weekend.

Jack Foster (5.9/6.5)

Foster is also a staple on the APP Tour and a part of the APP Next Gen National Team. The youngster is playing for the University of Florida and is competing in all three events: singles, men's doubles and mixed doubles.

Foster is in The Dink's most recent Top 20 Men's Singles Power Rankings and will be the heavy favorite in singles at this collegiate pickleball championship.

Kyle Compton (5.2/5.6)

Compton is the Pickleball Club President at Clemson University. The 19-year-old is originally from Georgia and just played in the PPA Vizzy Atlanta Slam. He earned a bronze medal in men's singles at the 5.0 level, and Compton and his teammate Fiorella Bozzetto won four matches at 5.0 in mixed doubles.

He is playing in mixed doubles and singles this weekend. Look for Compton to earn a trophy or two at this college pickleball tournament.

David Bieger (5.5/5.3)

Bieger helped UVA to the team national championship last fall. The Selkirk sponsored player is a senior studying both Physics and Computer Science, and just graduated.

The fitness enthusiast is playing in singles, men's doubles, and mixed doubles at the DUPR Collegiate Individual National Championship. He is a versatile threat across all three disciplines.

Drew Holder (5.7/5.6)

Holder is only playing men's doubles with his partner Luke Anthony, both from Southeastern University (Florida). Holder actually started out at SEU as a kicker on the football team. He now plays for the Lakeland Palms in the All Florida Pro League, leading his team to a tie for first place in the standings at 3-0.

Look for Holder and Anthony to push for a medal at this collegiate pickleball championship.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Drew Holder (@drew__holder)

Top Five Rated Women's Players

(Doubles DUPR / Singles DUPR)

Averee Beck (5.3/4.8)

Beck attends Utah Tech University and has played a bit on the pro tour as well. Averee is playing in all three events: singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles.

Beck made it through pro qualifiers in women's singles at the recent PPA Red Rock. Her and Kamryn Bliss also played in women's pro doubles. Beck will be playing mixed doubles with Benson Parry at the DUPR Collegiate Individual National Championship.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Utah Tech Pickleball Club (@trailblazerpickleball)

Ava Ignatowich (5.3/5.3)

James Ignatowich's younger sister usually plays on the PPA Tour, but she is playing for the University of Miami this weekend. Ignatowich is playing women's singles and doubles, and she easily has the highest singles DUPR on the women's side.

She is the heavy favorite to win at this college pickleball tournament. Ignatowich is playing with Brooke Dugarte, who is a good 4.5, and could get to the podium in both events.

Mehvish Safdar (5.3/4.9)

Safdar plays for Indiana University and is a PhD student studying counseling and sports psychology. Mehvish is a Pakistani-American who played college tennis at the University of Minnesota and was a top 20 tennis recruit. Safdar is a threat to podium in all three events she is playing in at this collegiate pickleball championship.

#Gophers Mehvish Safdar wins 6-4, 6-1 in the consolation finals! pic.twitter.com/ArcyrRR2qE
— Minnesota Women’s Tennis (@GopherWTennis) September 25, 2016

Alexandra McDonald (5.1/5.0)

McDonald plays for the national championship winning UVA team. She is playing in all three events and partnering with Lauralei Singsank and Brian Song. McDonald is also on the club tennis team at UVA and studies Cognitive and Computer Science.

Look for McDonald to get at least one medal in Cincinnati at the DUPR Collegiate Individual National Championship. I wouldn't be surprised if it was more.

Lauralei Singsank (5.1/4.8)

Speaking of UVA women's players, Singsank is a JD candidate at the University of Virginia. Originally from Maui, Lauralei earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Oregon before attending Law School at UVA. The Gearbox sponsored lefty is very solid all around.

Look for Singsank to at least make the championship with David Bieger and for her to medal with McDonald at this DUPR Collegiate Individual National Championship.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DUPR Collegiate Individual National Championship?

The DUPR Collegiate Individual National Championship is the premier annual college pickleball tournament crowning national champions in Men's Singles, Women's Singles, Men's Doubles, Women's Doubles, and Mixed Doubles. It is organized using the DUPR rating system to seed and structure competitive play across all brackets.

How much pickleball scholarship money is available at this event?

A total of $20,000 in scholarships is distributed across all events at this college pickleball tournament. First-place finishers earn $1,000 per player, with awards scaling down to $125 per player for 5th through 8th place finishes.

Who is eligible to compete in the collegiate pickleball championship?

Any college student enrolled in at least six credit hours is eligible to compete at this collegiate pickleball championship. Players who graduated in the 2024 spring semester or are taking summer classes may also participate, provided they partner with a teammate from their own school.

What format does the DUPR Collegiate Individual National Championship use?

The event uses a round robin format in groups of 6, 7, or 8 players, with the top eight from each group advancing to a single-elimination playoff. Games are played to 21 using rally scoring and win-on-serve, with a third deciding game played to 11.

Where can I watch the DUPR Collegiate Individual National Championship?

The finals stream live at 3:30pm EST on Sunday, June 2nd on the DUPR YouTube Channel. This is your best chance to watch the next generation of pickleball talent competing on the biggest stage in the college pickleball tournament circuit.